There are a number of situations where connectors are utilized to attach conduits, cables, pipes, and other elements to other members such as junctions, enclosures, controls, switches, and the like. A very common example where connectors are used is in conjunction with electrical wire conduit and tubing, and electrical boxes, junction boxes, fuse boxes, and other types of electrical enclosures and control units. Flexible and rigid conduit, cables, cords, tubing, pipes and other mentioned electrical devices providing distribution networks for electrical power are quite familiar as used in both industrial and residential construction. In accordance with building codes and safety regulations, connectors must be firmly and reliably attached to any of a variety of relatively standard sized openings or "knockouts" in electrical boxes, walls, control units, junction boxes and the like. As used herein, the term "bulkhead" will connote any wall or enclosure structure in which is provided an opening for attachment of a connector device.
Connectors of this type often include a threaded forward end which is inserted through the opening in the bulkhead during connection procedures, and, thereafter, a locknut is threaded on to the distal end of the connector and tightened against the inner surface of the bulkhead. Such threaded connection is, however, relatively labor intensive, and often difficult to accomplish in a uniform and reliable manner. In many applications, it is also imperative that the connector be intimately connected to the bulkhead to ensure continuity of an electrical circuit, water tight protection, and/or integrity of the connected parts. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,258, which issued to E. Pratesi, conventional connectors are generally located with their threaded portion received in the opening of a bulkhead, and, thereafter, a threaded nut or ring is screwed onto the threaded portion of the body drawing the flange up against the electrical housing or the like. Tightening of the ring is usually accomplished by the use of a screwdriver and hammer, and the threaded ring usually comprises a plurality of angled tabs which serve to lock the nut in place once properly tightened.
In use, however, such connector arrangements usually require the pre-assembly of the connector and its threaded locknut during the manufacturing process, disassembly of the threaded ring from the connector prior to installation use, then reassembly of the ring onto the threaded end of the connector once it has been inserted through an opening in an electrical box or the like. Reassembly of these pieces is often complicated by wires, cables, and other elements in the relatively confined spaces within electrical boxes, junction boxes and the like. The assembly, disassembly, and later reassembly and tightening operations increase the labor, time, and overall costs of utilizing these devices. The difficulty in ensuring the proper tightening of the locking ring can also increase the chances of loose connections and/or less than reliable continuity through such connections.
These problems and shortcomings have persisted through the years, in spite of numerous attempts to provide improved connectors and adapter devices for connectors. For example, the Pratesi patent mentioned above pertains to a retaining clip which is to be used with strain relief connectors on electrical boxes. The Pratesi device is taught as being formed from a stamped sheet of annealed steel, then formed into a ring-like shape to encompass the threaded end of a connector. The retaining clip is to be attached to the threaded connector without threading (i.e., it is to be pressed onto the threaded end of the connector via a sliding operation). The clip includes a series of engagement tabs along a peripheral edge which have grooves configured to cross-thread with the corresponding threads of the connector. The connector and clip assembly are inserted into the opening of an electrical box, and the spring tabs of the clip spring open to engage the interior of the box surface in use. Due to tolerances in openings in various electrical boxes and the like, however, the fit between this spring clip, the opening, and the threaded end of the connector can vary between applications. Because the clip itself becomes part of the electrical circuit, it is imperative that an intimate fit be provided between all of these parts. The Pratesi device inherently depends upon the spring action of the clip to provide continuity between varying gaps which are inherently present between the connector and the opening of the electrical box. It has been found that such connections can be relatively loose, enabling "hotspots" to be established in use, and resulting in potentially unsatisfactory connection/continuity conditions. Because uniformity and reliability of connections in applications such as electrical installations is critical to maintain safe and dependable connections, loose fittings and/or hotspots are unacceptable in many applications.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,164, which issued to D. O'Neil et al., also contemplates a stamped steel spring metal adapter for electrical connectors. The O'Neil et al. spring steel adapter requires a specially adapted smooth central section (32) between the flange (28) and raised shoulder (30) of a connector, thereby limiting the connectors upon which the adapter can be used to those which have been specially designed therefor. In fact, this adapter is not particularly applicable to standard threaded connectors without substantial structural changes. Moreover, like the Pratesi retaining clip, the O'Neil adapter relies upon its spring metal characteristics for accommodating inherent tolerances between the opening into which the connector is to be attached, and the connector itself. Consequently, in addition to requiring special adaptations of the connector itself for receiving the O'Neil device, some applications will inherently result in reliance on the adapter itself as part of an electrical path of continuity. As mentioned above, where the adapter is part of an electrical circuit, looseness and resulting hotspots are quite undesirable.
Other specially designed connector assemblies for conduit and the like have been successfully provided for convenient snap-in connection arrangements in certain circumstances. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,575, which issued to the present inventor, provides a very reliable snap-in type connector assembly for applications requiring fluid-type connections. However, there remains an unfulfilled need to provide a generally universal applicator which can be used in conjunction with standard threaded connectors without requiring structural changes in the connectors themselves. Additionally, such an adapter which can be assembled with the threaded connector during the manufacturing process, and then shipped and used as a single assembly without requiring additional disassembly and reassembly operations has been heretofore unavailable. Similarly, such an adapter including means for facilitating tightening of the connector against a bulkhead to ensure a snug fit and continuity between connector and bulkhead once snapped into place have thus far been unavailable for use with common threaded connectors in the industry.